Prologue

After the fight with Vindice, everything died down. There weren't any conflicts for the last two months nor was there anything coming to terrorize Tsuna and his family. Reborn remained as his tutor and continued to teach him. Varia went back to Italy after initiating another brawl with Tsuna. Mukuro and his gang went back to Kokuyo. Enma and his family still stayed around. And Chrome remained as a student in Namimori.

Chrome became stronger each day – enough to support her with the organs she created. She still needed to work on her social skills, but with everyone around her being so open, she knows she can make it.

Everyone around her.

That includes the mysterious black haired cloud person. He was the only one who didn't seem to be approachable. And yet, he saved her countless times.

She would always find herself staring at him. And all she could feel inside her is pandemonium.

She wanted to get closer to him. She wanted to know more about him.

But why?

Perhaps it's because of gratitude. But would her heart go crazy if it was for gratitude?

Chapter 1

Chrome was so lost in thought that she nearly got run over by a truck, if Tsuna hadn't pulled her out of the way. He looked so flustered and in a mess that got Chrome blinking in surprise. She was too busy thinking of what to buy for dinner. More snacks, I guess.

"Are you okay, Chrome?" Tsuna frantically asked her. That snapped her out of her thoughts once more. He was holding her arm tightly, like he was really worried. Chrome nodded.

"Good job on saving your family, Tsuna." Reborn remarked proudly.

Gokudera clicked his tongue in annoyance while crossing his arms. "Making the Tenth all worried. Hmph."

"However," Reborn continued with a smirk as he stared behind Tsuna and Chrome. "Someone doesn't look amused at all."

Tsuna felt a shiver all over his body, like it was covered in murderous intent. Tsuna paled and saw the source of it: Hibari. Hibari's eyes narrowed into slits and stared at him like he was trying to pierce Tsuna in half.

Chrome looked at the cloud person. Ba-dump. There it was again: the crazy beating of her heart. Hibari noticed her stare and stared back. Chrome blinked in surprise as heat flooded her face. She bit her lip and looked at the ground.

"Boss," She called out softly. If she'd look at Hibari again, she felt like she's going to explode. "I'm going ahead." And she ran off inside Namimori Middle.

Chrome sighed as she sat on her seat. Just in time, Kyoko greeted her with a big smile as she went inside the classroom. "Good morning, Chrome."

Chrome smiled back. "Good morning."

"Chrome, you look very blooming today." Kyoko complimented her as she sat beside Chrome. Chrome was taken by surprise, since this was the first time someone told her that. She fumbled on what to say and nodded in thanks.

"You know what they say about a blooming face," Hana joined in the conversation and sat on Chrome's table. She winked. "It means they're in love."

"Eh?" Chrome's mouth opened in surprise. That's not… no… love?

"Ehhhh…" Kyoko drawled. She put her face on her hands and smiled at Chrome. "Do you like someone Chrome?"

In an instant, the cloud person's face flashed in her mind like a neon light. Memories of him saving her replayed, along with a memory from two weeks ago. Love? She couldn't be. The only person she would love for the rest of her life is Mukuro.

If she was in love, it couldn't be with Hibari Kyouya. Perhaps she only felt in debt to him and the crazy beating of her heart was a reminder of her debts to him.

Chrome shook her head, but her face tells otherwise. She couldn't deny the rush of heat on her face and the wild beating of her heart.

As soon as school ended, she rushed right away to a convenience store to buy dinner. She didn't live in Kokuyo Land anymore since Mukuro kicked her out, and she couldn't leech off Kyoko forever, so Reborn had arranged an apartment in the same building as Shouichi for her to live. The expenses were taken care of by the Vongola family, and Chrome was given an allowance each month to get by.

So as school ends, she would rush to buy packed meals since she wasn't a very good cook. She also had a problem of choosing what to buy for dinner.

"Pork or beef?" Chrome whispered to herself as she stared the meals. She loves both of them equally but she had to budget her money.

"Pork is better," a masculine voice that seemed so familiar to her answered. Chrome's eyes went wide and turned to see Hibari beside her reaching for a packed meal. She felt stunned to the point of being speechless. Right on cue, the heat was crawling back to her face in an abnormal rate.

Hibari grabbed a pack of rice balls and turned to look at her. He stared at her without saying anything and left her alone. Chrome stood there, unable to find the words to describe what she's feeling. She shook her head to snap out of it and headed to the cashier to pay for it.

She felt disappointed, but she had no idea why. What was she expecting?

But inevitably, she felt happy.

That was the first time in two weeks since Hibari spoke to her.